Black Pond Trail

On the way up Owl's Head · New Hampshire

USFS trail #32155

Black Pond Trail is a trail on and around Franconia Ridge, climbing about 200 ft from the Lincoln Woods Trail junction to the Black Pond Bushwhack junction.

Map length

0.8 mi

Climb from the low end

191 ft

Book time up / down (from map miles)

29 min / 23 min

High point

1,593 ft

Above treeline

None

Steepest ¼ mile

360 ft/mi

Stream crossings

4 (4 fords)

Low point

1,401 ft

Measured on the map. The AMC guide and Forest Service figures usually run 5 to 15% longer.

HikerNerd routes on this trail

Black Pond Trail

Elevation profile
1,000'1,500'2,000'0 mi0.8 mi

Mile by mile (map miles)

From Lincoln Woods Trail junction (the lower end) to Black Pond Bushwhack junction.

  1. 0.0Lincoln Woods Trail junction
  2. 0.1Fords Birch Island Brook
  3. 0.5Fords a stream
  4. 0.5Fords a stream
  5. 0.6Fords a stream
  6. 0.7Black Pond
  7. 0.8Junction with Black Pond Bushwhack

Summit conditions

Owl's HeaddifficultOct 9, 8:20 PM
Today's conditions report

Recent trip reports

No reports on this trail in the last 30 days; the latest are below. From hikers on New England Trail Conditions.

  • Sat, Aug 29MudDry

    Water crossings: All super easy to cross. Water is extremely low right now.

    Full report on NETC
  • Tue, Aug 18MudWetDry

    Water crossings: We crossed the Pemi the same place we did last month - right past the Franconia Falls tent site. Water discharge rates were nice and low which made for an easy crossing. The other crossings along the way were all rock hops.

    Full report on NETC

Connecting trails

Lincoln Woods TrailBlack Pond Bushwhack

What to bring

From the summit forecast, Sat to Mon

Paid links. Backcountry.com pays me if you buy. Prices are Backcountry's, checked twice a day.

  • 62 mph

    Summit gusts

    Plan a below-treeline hike

    Daytime gusts near 62 mph above treeline. Pick a sheltered route or another day.

  • 29°F

    Summit low

    Microspikes

    Summit lows near 29°F, so expect ice on rock and the upper trail.

    Kahtoola Microspikes at Backcountry.com ($89.95)

  • 11h 13m

    Daylight

    Headlamp

    Sunset around 6:08 PM, so a late start or a slow descent ends in the dark.

    Headlamps at Backcountry.com

The rest of the list: Winter gear guide · How I pick gear

Trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Elevation: USGS 3DEP. Distances are measured from the map and can differ from signs and guidebooks. Conditions change: check before you go.